Ghana’s MDF Launches Youth Training Initiative to Curb Illegal Mining

Ghana’s Minerals Development Fund (MDF) will train and equip 2,500 young people from mining communities this year in sustainable skills such as drone technology, aquaculture, and poultry farming, Administrator Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw announced at a stakeholder forum.

The initiative aims to provide alternative livelihoods, reduce reliance on illegal mining, and promote environmental accountability in resource-rich regions.

The program includes drone fabrication training for agricultural use, with a focus on involving persons with disabilities in manufacturing and operating drones for farmland spraying. Participants will also receive instruction in aquaculture, supported by a newly established 100,000-capacity fish farm and processing plant. Off-take agreements have been secured to ensure market access for trainees’ produce, bolstering income stability.

Poultry farming cooperatives will target broiler and layer production, offering profit margins of up to 50% per cycle. “We want youth to view agriculture as a viable business, not just subsistence,” Bissiw said, underscoring plans to collaborate with traditional leaders to secure land for youth cooperatives. These groups will receive seedlings, equipment, and technical support to maximize productivity.

Concurrently, the MDF is enforcing a “polluter pays” policy, requiring mining entities to remediate environmental damage or face financial penalties. A task force will monitor royalty payments and revenue transparency, while future lithium projects will prioritize community benefit agreements negotiated before extraction begins.

The fund has also partnered with private investors to expand educational opportunities, including scholarships for students in mining areas. “Our goal is to offer hope and sustainable alternatives to illegal mining,” Bissiw stated, emphasizing long-term investments in skills and infrastructure.

Ghana’s push to align mining activity with community development reflects broader efforts to address illegal small-scale mining, or galamsey, which has devastated waterways and forests. By coupling vocational training with stricter environmental oversight, the MDF seeks to balance economic growth with ecological preservation. However, success hinges on consistent enforcement and sustained funding, challenges that have hampered similar initiatives in the past. As global demand for minerals like lithium rises, Ghana’s model could set a precedent for resource-rich nations grappling with youth unemployment and environmental degradation.